Accusations of misconduct: Gérard Depardieu's inappropriate behavior
Seventy-four-year-old Gérard Depardieu, a notable figure in French cinema, continues to hold a controversial position in the film industry regardless of his significant acting prowess. His treatment of women has been widely overlooked by the French, however, recent allegations have begun to put the actor under scrutiny.
Remarks like "That's just Gérard! He's always like this" were commonly expressed by actresses referencing the inappropriate behavior of the French film star. Several months back, the portal "Mediapart" shed light on numerous instances in which Depardieu had violated personal boundaries. The editorial team spoke with 13 women who identified themselves as victims of the actor, all maintaining that their complaints were dismissed or trivialized by other crew members.
Most of these women decided not to take any legal action and currently wish to stay anonymous. The exception is actress Charlotte Arnould who has openly accused Depardieu of "rape and sexual assault".
Gérard Depardieu commented on these allegations in an open letter published in the newspaper "Le Figaro" with the headline "I finally want to tell you the truth". Here, he refused to acknowledge the accusations, penning in the introduction: "I cannot sit back and listen to what's being said and written about me from the past few months. I thought I could ignore it, but it doesn't concern me. It affects me deeply. Even worse, it's destroying me".
Now, actress Helene Darras has also come forward publically accusing the actor and has announced her intention to file an official complaint. Darras met Gérard Depardieu back in 2007 while on the set of the film "Disco".
"I was 26 at that time. I was only an extra. Depardieu acted as though he couldn't control himself. He gazed at me like I was a piece of meat. I was dressed in a very tight outfit as it was part of my movie costume. He came closer to me and slid his hand over my hips and buttocks" - Darras recalls.
Darras refrained from complaining about the star's behavior back then out of fear that she may be blacklisted from the film industry. "I yearned to be an actress, but I was scared that I'd be sidelined. After this incident, my confidence was shattered" - the actress explains further.
